Chapter 37 Chapter Thirty-Six

The cuckoo crowed again, and clear voices echoed in the village and outside the village: It's yellow, it's cut!It's yellow and it's cut!In previous years, when it was called, people were all over their eyebrows with joy. They finally survived the sluggish spring, and they were going to eat new wheat!Everyone took out their sickles and rubbed them on the millstone, impatiently going to cut the wheat.But this year, the cuckoo's voice is hoarse, but people are indifferent, and the sickle is so anxious that it rusts, and everyone doesn't bother to touch it. The scythe is useless.The field was empty, and the crops that had been planted last year basically did not germinate, and were suffocated in the soil.The situation in the paddy field is a little better. The seedlings that have been watered for a while have sprouted, but the subsequent moisture cannot keep up, and they have stunted development. So far, they have grown less than half a foot high, and the spit out ears of wheat are only the size of fingernails.This kind of wheat is short in size and cannot be scytheed, so it can only be pulled out with hands.The wheat that is pulled out is almost all husks, and it is considered a high incense if the seeds can be recovered.

People in Zhoujiazhai spent the Dragon Boat Festival in May in a sad state.The harvest of summer crops was over, and they completely lost hope.As the saying goes, famine years are afraid of the end but not the head. The beginning is easy and the end is difficult. At the beginning of the famine, everyone has some old grains, which can last for a while. When the grains run out and the famine has not passed, they panic.The severe drought in Guanzhong has been going on for almost a year. Last autumn and this summer, the crops failed. Except for the well-to-do households with deep savings, how many people can survive until now?Many people have no food for a long time, relying on the bark of wild vegetables to survive.

The famine has begun.Those who have good legs and feet and have the strength to walk, they don't want to stay in their hometown and wait to die, so they go out to escape the famine.The place to flee famine is Nanshan.There is the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains. The mountains are humid, and crops can always grow. Even if there is no food, you can find mountain products and game to satisfy your hunger.Farther away is to cross the Qinling Mountains to the southern part of Shaanxi. There is a small Jiangnan in the north, a land of fish and rice, and it is not difficult to make a living.

Strange things happened in Guanzhong in May.The people on the banks of the North Mountain fled here, but the people here wanted to flee to the South Mountain. They came and went, like a relay race. Those who could escape escaped, and those who could not escape could only stay at home.The old people didn't leave, either because they couldn't walk, or because they didn't want to leave, they would rather starve to death and be buried in the graves of their ancestors.If the elderly do not leave, their children will be dragged down, and the filial juniors cannot leave the elders alone.How can those who have not fled famine survive?They also had to live, and at this moment they thought of a way: carry food.

Carrying grain means going to Nanshan and even southern Shaanxi to buy grain.There was no disaster there, and the food was cheap. When buying food from there, adults could carry more than 100 catties, and children could carry 30 to 50 catties, and they would be transported back hundreds of miles.It takes more than 20 days to walk on the back. The Qinling Mountains are full of mountain roads, steep and slippery. People in Pingchuan who are not used to mountain roads have to use both hands and feet when walking empty, let alone carrying a hundred catties. If you are not careful, you will fall off the cliff .Every time food is transported, some people will not come back.In fact, only half of the 100 catties of food is left home, because the people who carry the food have to eat by themselves every day, and they have to exchange food for things like staying in the store and drinking water.I can't guarantee that this little food will be my own. There are bandits on the road. If you meet bandits, you can escape with your life. If you are hungry, bandits will even eat human flesh.

Even if the half of the food is brought back, it cannot be left to the family to eat, and another half has to be sold in exchange for the cost of the next trip to buy food.If there are too many people in the family, it is impossible to sell grain, and another way must be found to raise money.What can be done?Look around inside and outside the house to see if there is anything else that can be sold.Land is the least valuable thing, and now no one wants it, so take the tables, chairs, benches, cabinets, and tables to the market to try your luck.If it didn't work, they went to the house to remove the purlins, dug down the doors and windows of the cave, and even sold the old man's coffin and shroud to pawn.Those who have these things to sell are considered lucky. Some families are so poor that they have nothing to sell, and in the end they have to sell.Who are you selling to?Woman doll!There are people who want these two kinds of people.However, the way of selling is particular. Different markets have different prices. Even the price of selling livestock in the hometown is not as good. The livestock can be killed and eaten for meat, but cannibalism is still somewhat taboo after all.If you get people to Nanshan to sell, the price will turn around.There are as many bachelors in the mountains as there are trees, and the women there run away to the outside of the mountains, and it is rare for a woman from outside the mountains to marry.

That's what Maowa in Zhou's village does. He wants to sell his wife.Maowa did it very skillfully. When he went to Nanshan, he said to his daughter-in-law, "We have a lot of family members, and I can only carry a few dozen catties at a time. You can also go with me this time. Be a helper, and you can carry some."He didn't dare to tell the truth in advance, fearing that his daughter-in-law would not be willing, so he coaxed her away first and then figured out a solution.Maowa's daughter-in-law felt sorry for the man, and she knew that it was a crime of cattle and horses to bear the grain, and even a man might not be able to bear it, but she still agreed.When he arrived at Nanshan, Maowa asked his wife to wait outside on the pretext of going to negotiate a deal with the mountain people, and he went door to door to find buyers for her.

That pain in Maowa's heart.He has been married to his wife for ten years. She has given birth to four babies for him, and she is busy taking care of the babies all day long, serving his parents, and taking out the silly uncle who takes care of the babies.Uncle has suffered from epilepsy and has been single all his life. He gets sick from time to time, and when he gets sick, he can eat feces and drink urine.How could he be willing to sell such a daughter-in-law?If you don't sell her, who will you sell?Of course, dolls can also be sold, but no women are easy to sell.Women are the most lacking in the mountains. As long as they are women, no matter they are young or old, they are very popular, and it is not necessarily necessary to bring dolls.If the doll could not be sold, not only would there be no money to buy food, but both of them would starve to death on the way.Maowa walked from house to house, his legs were as heavy as if they were bound with stones. He hoped that someone would take his wife immediately, so that he could be freed from the torment, but at the same time, he was afraid that someone would do this, because it was from him. Gouging out a piece of flesh from the heart!

The Maowa soon found buyers, one was a hunter in his thirties, and the other was an old man in his fifties.Mao Wa weighed it up and chose the old man.It was kind of unreasonable, but somehow he did it, explaining to himself that the old man had overpaid, but it was only fifty cents more. When Maowa brought his daughter-in-law to the old man's house, he told her the truth.The daughter-in-law was stunned at the moment, she didn't believe Mao Wa would do this!But Maowa's demeanor told her it was true, he lowered his head, not daring to look at her.Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn't say anything, just stared at Maowa.Maowa could feel the coldness and stinging pain of that gaze, which made his body shrink rapidly.He couldn't bear the squeeze of guilt anymore, he slapped himself with a slap, and cursed himself, I'm not human, I have no ability!The daughter-in-law took his hand and said, "Father, I don't blame you. If you want to blame, blame the blind God."

The old man handed over his worth to Mao Wa.Maowa counted the money, and his daughter-in-law watched him carefully count the bills one by one. This scene made Maowa want to sneak in through a crack in the ground.He wanted to leave immediately after counting the money, but his wife stopped him.The daughter-in-law took off the jacket and shoes she was wearing, gave them to Maowa, and said, "You take this clothes back to our mother. She has been wearing patched clothes all her life. The clothes I wore when I went out were my dowry back then." , It's still half new, let her old man keep out the cold.My daughter-in-law is not a good one, and I haven't sewed a good dress for her in ten years.Give these shoes to our eldest daughter, tell her that mother is sorry for her, and leave her halfway, and rely on her to manage the family from now on.

When Maowa heard this, tears burst into his eyes. He hugged his wife and said, "I won't sell it anymore. If you want to die, let's die together!" The two hugged each other and cried, until the old man became impatient.He said, if you don't sell it, return the money to me, and I'll just return the product.This sentence made both of them stop crying, and they were in a desperate situation.How can I buy food after getting the money back?Going home empty-handed, don't say that the seven mouths at home are hopeless, even the two of them will starve to death on the way!Everyone understands this truth, but it is too difficult to say it. In the end, Maowa's daughter-in-law opened her mouth, and she said, just sell me, I am willing. But I don't want to!Mowa said. It's a good thing you sold me, I'm here to enjoy myself.Maowa's daughter-in-law smiled sadly and said that there is food to eat here, so I don't go hungry. Mao Wa knew that his wife was reassuring him, but the more this happened, the more uncomfortable he felt, and the more reluctant he was to part with such a good wife.He took out the money from selling himself and handed it to the old man, and said to his wife, we don't care about the mess in our hometown, let's just starve to death, the two of us will not go back here, and open up wasteland and farm! The daughter-in-law was stunned for a moment, she understood Mao Wa's intentions, grabbed his hand and said, what are you talking about, those are seven lives, they are all our own flesh and blood!Even if you are willing to leave the old man, the doll is not yet an adult, are you willing to leave it?You are the father of a baby!Even if you are cruel-hearted and willing to let go, I still can't let go, I'm a fucking mother, I sell myself! Maowa held his daughter-in-law's hand and said in tears, "I... I don't know what to do. Seeing this hard-working couple who couldn't leave each other, the old man who bought the house was moved.He gave them an idea, he gave Mao Wa a sack of food for free, and told him to keep his wife with him for a month, Mao Wa didn't need to sell his wife, and just took her back the next time he came to carry food. This is not free! Maowa's wife immediately agreed and thanked the old man on Maowa's behalf. Maowa returned with a bag of grain on his back.This time he felt that the bag on his back was so heavy that he could barely move his legs.When he left the mountain village, he turned his head three times at a step, and his wife stood on a high place to see him off.He saw his daughter-in-law was wearing a black gown, which should belong to the old man.The weather in the mountains is different from that in Pingchuan, it is very cool in the morning and evening.Maowa felt very sad, he didn't dare to imagine how his wife would live with that old man after he left.Does a man still have face to live so long?Is it still something for a grown-up to rent out one's daughter-in-law? Along the way, Maowa resolutely refused to let himself think about it. He ran desperately with his pockets on his back, causing blisters on his feet, sore waist and backache, and the pain drowned him out.At night, the extreme fatigue caused him to fall asleep without dreaming.In this way, ten days later, he entered Guanzhong Road, where the flat road was much easier to walk. That morning Maowa walked to a village, and there were many beggars on both sides of the road.Some of them were sitting, some were lying on their stomachs, some were kneeling, begging from passers-by.Maowa ignored them and walked briskly, but unexpectedly, a person rushed over and hugged his leg while walking.This was a female beggar lying on the side of the road. She probably saw that Mao Wa was the one carrying food, and asked him to give her some food, saying that she hadn't eaten for three days.Maowa wanted to break free from her, but she stuck to his leg like a plaster, and she couldn't get rid of it.The stuffed baby became popular, he said, why should I give you food?My family is still hungry! The female beggar said, brother, if you give me a bite, I will be your daughter-in-law. hey woman!Maowa looked down at her.This woman has an oval face and big eyes. Although she is thin and lean due to hunger, she still looks pretty.Seeing Maowa staring at her, the woman immediately spit into the palm of her hand and rubbed it on her face, forcing out a streak of white light in the dirt.Mao Wa concluded that the woman was only in her twenties, and he was moved in his heart, saying that my food was raw. The woman said, brother, you can eat raw ones too. Mowa put down the pocket, untied the lid, grabbed a handful of corn and handed it to her.The woman stuffed it into her mouth eagerly and started chewing. She covered her mouth with one hand to prevent the food from leaking out, and stretched out her other hand to the doll.Maowa gave her another handful of grain, watched her gobble it up, and thought to herself, I might as well take this woman home. Mao Wa said that it is impossible for her not to think of her daughter-in-law.When he opened and closed his eyes, he was the shadow of his wife.The old man in the mountains said to let Maowa's daughter-in-law stay with him, do you think it was just to accompany him to spread the word?The three of them actually knew it well, and what happened next was logical.Maowa seemed to see his daughter-in-law being hugged to bed by the old bachelor, took off her clothes, and pressed her under her body!That old thing had been holding back for decades before he seized the opportunity to show his evil fire!This kind of situation makes Maowa feel distressed like a knife. He is a man, so a wife who has been slept with by others can... want it?He felt uncomfortable, and his chest was constricted like a bristle. As soon as this idea came up, Maowa slapped him back.Are you still human?Maowa scolded herself, why did the daughter-in-law do that?Isn't she doing this to save the lives of the family?She is suffering there, but you are thinking about changing your wife here, aren't you afraid of thunder and thunder? Taking advantage of the woman spreading her hands, Mao Wa hurried to walk, but the woman wouldn't let him go.Probably after eating some food, the woman was able to stand up and walk. She followed Mao Wa and wanted to be his wife.Maowa doesn't want it, she doesn't do it, and the two of them chattered, attracting many people to watch.The woman asked everyone to comment, and the passers-by accused Mao Wa of not speaking. Mao Wa said that I didn't agree to ask her to be my wife. The woman said that you didn't agree, why did you give me food?Maowa said, I don't think you are pitiful, besides, I have a daughter-in-law at home.The onlookers condemned him even more, why are you so frivolous, you still provoke someone else's daughter even if you have a wife?The woman said, I don't mind if you have a daughter-in-law, I'll be your little one.Maowa said, I can't afford to support you, and there are a lot of people in my family relying on me!Mao Wa was determined not to, and the woman had to follow. Finally, after everyone mediated, Mao Wa gave the woman another bowl of corn as compensation, and the engagement was broken.Maowa didn't want to give it to him at first, what can a weak woman do to him?But passers-by blocked him, and more and more people gathered to watch the fun, what if these people saw the money and had evil thoughts and robbed him?At this time, as long as they encounter food, good people will immediately become bandits!It's important to get out. If you delay for a long time, you have to get out of Mada. Get rid of these people and walk for a while, until you can't see them, Mao Wa dares to swear, what a fucking ghost!He was glad that he didn't bring this woman home, she was just a villain, he was better off as his own wife!He is also secretly proud, thanks to finding an old guy for his wife, he is in his fifties and sixties, and he is so weak, what can he do to my wife? This is how most people get their food.They risked their lives and came back from Nanshan, counted the grains and boiled them in the pot, and boiled the soup with little water.But their life-saving food could no longer be kept. At the end of May, the county government issued a grain requisition order, requiring 50 catties of wheat per mu of land.That's five times as much as in a normal year! This is completely beyond people's expectations!From last year's severe drought to now, the year-on-year famine has lasted for a year, and everyone expects that this year will definitely be tax-free.It has been an old rule since ancient times to not pay food when there is a famine.But the fact in front of us is that this year, not only is there no reduction or exemption, but the collection will be doubled. It is said that the land tax will be collected five years in advance, and the tax and food in the 23rd year of the Republic of China will be collected in the 18th year of the Republic of China. Where do you get food?If you don’t pay the county government, the security team will be sent down to search, and everything found will be confiscated. If you can’t find it, you will be tied up with ropes and hung up to beat you, forcing you to borrow grain to buy grain and pay taxes.For a while, everyone was crying loudly, and people couldn't survive. On this day, Zhoujiazhai received a chicken feather post with only four words: Rise to fight against taxes!I don't know who received this post first, anyway, it should be the last to reach Zhou Kewen.Zhou Kewen holding this post is like holding a piece of burning coal, he can't put it down and dare not hold it.He knew something big was going to happen.This chicken feather post was not posted casually, only when people gather to rebel will they use this method to secretly connect.All villages that receive chicken feather posts must respond, otherwise they will be regarded as enemies after the incident, and they will be killed and wiped out.As far as Zhou Kewen's experience is concerned, he has personally seen it twice, one was the Guanzhong Boxing Rebellion in the 26th year of Guangxu, and the other was the anti-salt tax incident led by Zhang Hualong in the county in the 32nd year of Guangxu. , Zhoujiazhai also sent people to participate.These two uprisings were defeated in the end, and many people died. The head of the leader was beheaded and hung on the gate tower of the county seat for public display.Fortunately, all the people who went to Zhoujiazhai were young people. Except for Mao Wa and his uncle who was shocked by the cannon when he attacked the Baoji Catholic Church with the boxers, the others were not injured or injured, and they were not held accountable afterwards. I also know that the law does not blame the public, and adopted the strategy of dealing with the aftermath of the crime, and not asking if the threat is followed. Now comes the chicken feather post again!Zhou Kewen's head suddenly became bigger.He knows the pros and cons of this matter, it is no child's play to start an incident, it is the crime of beheading!What made him even more anxious was that he was the patriarch now, so it was up to him to decide whether to participate in the riot.If someone is sent to participate, if the person sent is killed in battle, then he has to bear the responsibility. This responsibility is too heavy for him to bear!If you ignore the chicken feather posts and refuse to participate, then others will definitely retaliate after the incident, and the Zhou family village is doomed. Zhou Kewen was caught in a dilemma, and the best way to solve this problem was to persuade everyone not to rebel.But he knew it would be difficult, because the government had already pushed people to a dead end, and they couldn't survive without rebellion.But Zhou Kewen still wants to give it a try, maybe there is room for maneuver.But the trouble is that he doesn't know who the leader is, and he can't talk to them. It happened that when Zhou Kewen wanted to find these people, these people also happened to come to him.These people are all from the surrounding villages of Zhoujiazhai, and Zhou Kewen knows them.Before Zhou Kewen could persuade them, they came up with a plan to scare Zhou Kewen to death: recommend Zhou Kewen to be the leader of the uprising!Their reason is that Zhou Kewen is a famous Confucian elder with a radius of hundreds of miles. He is highly respected. It will be more appealing for him to come forward. The people support him and the government fears him.Zhou Kewen's face was sallow. This would not only ruin his reputation, but also put his family on the chopping block. He absolutely could not agree! But these people did not agree.They threatened that if you don't agree, our uprising will fail, so we might as well rob your house first, because your house has a lot of food, which is enough for everyone to eat for a while. Zhou Kewen called out, do you still have the king's law? They said, where is the king's law?You should ask the government! Zhou Kewen said, aren't you afraid of guns?My son leads the soldiers, so he will come back as soon as he says he will! Those people said, anyway, if you die, you will either starve to death or be beaten to death, who is afraid of it! Zhou Kewen was at a loss.Maybe you can win if you start an incident, but if these people rob it, you will be bankrupt.These people are all strong men in the village, desperate people, what are they afraid to do?But he can't just be coerced by them, he wants to negotiate terms.Zhou Kewen pointed out that he is not a leader, he has never led troops to fight, the leader must be a warrior, he is a scholar, he can be a teacher, write a call to arms, issue a notice, and negotiate with the government, etc. He is better at it. The other party still refused.Zhou Kewen said, let's take a step back. If you don't take a step back, I would rather die than follow suit. At worst, set a fire and burn the house down, and the whole family will go to beg for food!The other party didn't expect Zhou Kewen to join the group. According to their estimation, it would be a matter of picking stars from the sky to make Zhou Xiucai, who has a great career, great education and good manners, to rebel. But they still want to give it a try. Now it seems that Zhou Kewen When Lu Junyi is impossible, it is also a surprise to get a wise and multi-star Wu Yong!They have heard the story by heart for a long time. Wu Yong is more effective than Song Jiang in Liangshan. Has Wu Yong won a battle without relying on Wu Yong's ingenuity? They agreed to Zhou Kewen. Zhou Kewen won the first step and started to design the second step.He asked them, why did we get into trouble this time?Is it sitting in the world or exempting food tax?If you sit in the world, you have to exchange your head, and it may not be exempt from food tax. Think about it, everyone. These people have never thought about sitting in the world, they just want to be able to eat a full meal.Everyone looked at each other and said almost at the same time, grain tax exemption. now it's right.Zhou Kewen said, in the final analysis, we are here to survive, and survival is better than anything else. Everyone nodded together. But the matter of food tax exemption is not easy, Zhou Kewen said, it is a tiger's mouth for food, and if it is not done well, people will die.That year Zhang Hualong fought against the salt tax and many people died, and his head was chopped off and hung on the city gate. Everyone knows about this, some people even went to the county town to see the bloody head, it was miserable.Although they were prepared to die in advance this time, it was just a figment of the imagination. If this arrogance really met the steel knife that beheaded, who would guarantee that it would not be vented immediately?Of course they hope there will be no bloodshed. I have a bloodless solution here, Zhou Kewen said. Everyone's eyes lit up, and they all looked at Zhou Kewen.Zhou Kewen said, as long as everyone listens to me, I promise not to hurt a single soldier, and let the government exempt all food taxes. These people are so happy, they really found Zhi Duoxing.Everyone said in unison, willing to listen to the military division! The first day of June was an auspicious day, and tens of thousands of farmers from dozens of villages around Zhoujiazhai suddenly surrounded the county town.The county security team was so frightened that they set up guns on the city wall and confronted the villagers from a distance.There are only hundreds of people in the security team, even with quick guns, they can't stop the rioters in the crowd.But the strange thing is that these villagers did not rush into the county seat, they just surrounded the four gates of the county seat, east, west, north, south, to prevent people from passing. The county magistrate Sun Yutian panicked. He climbed up the city wall and saw that there were people all over the place. Everyone was holding an empty earthen jar, not knowing what to do.At this time, a follower pointed to a white banner in the team. He looked carefully, and there were sixteen big black characters written on it: The king's law is hard to break, the crime of starvation is uncomfortable, and the food tax is exempted, so that there is a way to survive! Sun Yutian knew what was going on.He stood on the city wall and shouted loudly, elders, I am the magistrate Sun Yutian, if you have anything to discuss, please don't be reckless, please send a representative in, and let's discuss it face to face. As soon as he finished speaking, a man picked up the earthen pot in his hand and threw it on the ground with a bang.This sound seemed to be an order, and all the others picked up the earthen pots and fell down. The sound was earth-shattering, like thunder, and Magistrate Sun's legs trembled. A man stepped out from the ranks below, and he shouted to the defenders, open the door quickly, I am an envoy! County Magistrate Sun received the negotiator at the county government office, but unexpectedly the representative was Zhou Kewen!Of course he knew Zhou Xiucai, not only did he know him, he even paid a visit to this old sage.Zhou Kewen is a well-known gentry in the county, and he is also the Gaotang of the battalion commander Zhou of the National Army. Anyone who is an official in the county will not fail to get acquainted with him. County Magistrate Sun gave Zhou Kewen a seat to watch tea, and then asked, why did you always... participate in this matter? Zhou Kewen thought to himself, do you think I am willing to come?I was forced to come here.But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he changed his tone. He said, if the road is uneven, someone will step on it, and if it doesn't make sense, someone will argue.You can't reveal the truth about being held hostage, it's embarrassing. County Magistrate Sun said, this is... a matter of rebellion. Zhou Kewen said, no, they didn't take weapons, and they didn't attack the county town. How can this be called a rebellion?Here's a petition! Zhou Kewen used a new word here: petition.This is what he heard from his second son. Zhou Ligong bragged to his father about the fact that students from his alma mater went to petition in front of Duan Qirui's government.What Zhou Kewen was most afraid of was getting involved in the rebellion. Before he set off, he made a peaceful rule for the rebels and did not give the government an excuse to use force. This was not only to protect himself, but also to protect the villagers.Of course, the basis for this peace is only in his heart, and he cannot reveal it to County Magistrate Sun.So he went on to say, besides, even the rebellion was forced out by you.Mencius said, when the king regards his ministers like brothers and feet, then the ministers regard the emperor as his heart;You drive people crazy and they'll go to hell! Zhou Kewen was strict in his words, as if he had forgotten that he was forced to go on a mission, and he became angry as he spoke, with a sense of pride in pleading for the people. County magistrate Sun said, I didn't force them, the food tax was set by the province, I just followed orders. Zhou Kewen said that since ancient times, food has been exempted in case of disasters, and now it is the Republic of China, so why not as good as the emperor? County Magistrate Sun said, there is going to be a war ahead, and it is only right and proper for the soldiers to use their lives and the people to pay for food. Zhou Kewen asked, isn't Marshal Zhang already sent back to the Northeast?Why are you still fighting? County Magistrate Sun said, you don't know this, and now Commander-in-Chief Feng is going to fight Chiang Kai-shek. Zhou Kewen said, this is strange, aren't they in the same group?Or sworn brothers, why are you also marked? County magistrate Sun said, I don't care about this matter, and I can't control it. We just need to urge food. Zhou Kewen said, there is no reason to urge grain. How can there be someone who earns money without money?Look through the "Twenty-Four Histories" and see if there is any record of collecting land taxes for five years at a time?Neither King Zhou of Shang nor Emperor Qin Shihuang did this! County Magistrate Sun said, you don't dare to make such comparisons.This time we are fighting a big battle, so the consumption will naturally be high, and there is no way to pre-conquer. Zhou Kewen said, if you can get it, the common people will starve to death. Where can there be food? County magistrate Sun said proudly, I have collected hundreds of stones! Zhou Kewen said, you are urging your life, you know?What are people eating now?It is good to eat bran and swallow vegetables, but there are many people who eat rat feces and white clay. The little food you forced out was bought by them by selling their sons and daughters. They came back from Nanshan gambling with their lives. I hope it will be saved at the last minute.Now that you have taken away their life-saving food, they will have no way to survive, and they have to fight with you to survive. County Magistrate Sun snorted and said, how dare they? Zhou Kewen said, you just heard and saw that they threw all the earthen jars containing grain.What does that mean?Let me tell you, it's better to smash the jade than to be whole. They smashed all the guys who ate, showing that they didn't plan to go back alive! County Magistrate Sun was taken aback, his face turned gray.Zhou Kewen was secretly proud that throwing the crock pot was a scene he had carefully designed. It was scary but did not break the law, and it could give the government a blow. County Magistrate Sun was still stubborn. He said, I don't believe that they are not afraid of Wang Fa. Zhou Kewen said, what can you do with them?Put them all in jail?What they wished for, there is food in the prison.You killed them all?Not to mention whether you can kill them all, even if you can, killing so many people would be a catastrophe that shocked the whole country. People all over the country condemn you, can you end well?You said that I would not kill more, so I killed the leader to show the public.But have you ever thought about it, this will spark civil uprisings, now is the year of catastrophe, public grievances are boiling, a little spark will set off a prairie fire, plus death by starvation and war is death, starving to death is better than fighting to death , they must fight you to the death.Who forced Emperor Chongzhen to death?What about Li Zicheng, what can Li Zicheng respond to everyone?Great drought in northern Shaanxi.When encountering refugees in disaster years, they can only be comforted but not suppressed. The people are not afraid of death, so why should they be afraid of death!This is the key to being an official herdsman, have you read it? County Magistrate Sun frightened Zhou Kewen, he asked in panic, what do you keep saying? Zhou Kewen pretended to look around County Magistrate Sun. County Magistrate Sun understood what he meant and waved his followers to leave the house.Zhou Kewen said, I am an envoy not here to negotiate, but to rescue you.For the sake of County Magistrate Sun's love for the people like his son, I insisted on blocking those refugees and telling them not to mess around, and came in alone to give you advice. County Magistrate Sun thanked you repeatedly, and asked, what is your old idea... Stop urging grain and exempt land tax.Zhou Kewen said. County Magistrate Sun thought to himself, isn't this bullshit?Isn't this old thing playing tricks on me?But he didn't say the rude words, instead he asked Zhou Kewen in a pleasant manner, where can I get the rations that were suppressed from the upper peak? There is a place, Zhou Kewen said.You go to the wealthy households to borrow, and they have food in their hands. County Magistrate Sun asked, you said let me borrow it? Zhou Kewen said, don't be afraid, it's not you who borrow it, but you who borrow it for the common people. County Magistrate Sun said, why should I borrow it for them? Zhou Kewen said, if they borrow it, they won't give it to you, but you have a lot of face and can borrow it. County Magistrate Sun said, I will borrow it, but who will pay it back? Zhou Kewen said, of course they paid it back.Famine years are borrowed from good years to pay back, and ordinary people spend famine years in this way. County magistrate Sun said, what if the big family doesn't borrow it?I can't take the security team to grab it, can I? Zhou Kewen thought to himself, if you are a dog, you will bully the weak and fear the strong, and you have robbed many houses of the poor!But he didn't say that, he continued to give advice to County Magistrate Sun, if you take these refugees to borrow, they will definitely give it. County Magistrate Sun said, what if I don't want to borrow it? Zhou Kewen said, I think it's better for you to borrow it. If you press so hard, it will spark a civil uprising. At that time, you will either be investigated or hurt by the mob. You can weigh the severity. County magistrate Sun thought about it, and it was indeed the truth. Also, Zhou Kewen continued to give him advice, and at the same time, you wrote a letter to your boss, stated the situation of the disaster, and asked for food tax relief, saying that you had led the victims to borrow food everywhere in order to pay the tax. The disaster victims went to the provincial capital, where there are many rich people, so it should be easy to borrow. County Magistrate Sun thought to himself, this man is worthy of being a scholar, he has enough minds, so he is listless.These tricks, whether dealing with big households or bosses, are both soft and hard, and it seems that they will be effective.He imagined that if he went to borrow food from those big households, they would give some of it for the sake of the county magistrate. In case of encountering stingy and iron cocks, this dark refugee team would come in handy , They stopped at the door of his house, surrounded it with water, and scared him to death. How dare he not give it?As for going to the provincial government to borrow money, it looks pitiful on the surface, but there is a threat hidden in the dark. With so many refugees flocking to Xi'an, wouldn't that lead to disaster? Seeing that County Magistrate Sun remained silent, Zhou Kewen knew that he was moved, and asked, what do you think? County Magistrate Sun nodded and said, this method...is okay. Zhou Kewen was secretly happy that the magistrate Sun had been lured into a trap by him.He was proud of himself, but unexpectedly, the county magistrate Sun's words made his heart bleed immediately. The guy said, you are a well-known big family in our county. I will speak to you first. Please donate generously for the people of the county. This is really an immediate report!When Zhou Kewen came up with this idea, he never expected to put himself in it.But now that bitch, County Magistrate Sun, came to invite you into the urn, he regretted so much that he wanted to slap himself. I really don't know if County Magistrate Sun fell into his trap or he fell into Magistrate Sun's trap.Food is so expensive now, and it is the right time to exchange it for money and land. Who is willing to lend it to others?But he came up with the idea, no matter how distressed he is, he has to take it.Zhou Kewen gritted his teeth and said, it is his duty to do so, of course, I will pay two stones of corn! County magistrate Sun said that Mr. Zhou is a model of gentry in the county, and others would laugh at this little food. Zhou Kewen said, then add a little more, three stones. County Magistrate Sun said with a smile, do you want the refugees to line up at your door? Zhou Kewen said, I'm going all out, five stones! County magistrate Sun said, let’s take wheat, let people say that you are producing feed for corn. Zhou Kewen nodded helplessly, cursing in his heart, just take advantage of me if you're a bastard.He gritted his teeth and said, then you have to make an IOU for me. County Magistrate Sun said, of course.But you always have to write me a note to ensure that all the food I borrow will be repaid by the victims in the future. It was only at this time that Zhou Kewen saw how shrewd Magistrate Sun was, and he couldn't be fooled casually.However, according to Zhou Kewen's bold words, it is common sense for people to repay what they borrow, and it is a matter of saving people in times of disaster, and people with a conscience will not default on their debts. Now that he had already bled, he should strike while the iron is hot and let County Magistrate Sun quickly end the matter.He urged County Magistrate Sun to go to the city wall to announce the food exemption.But County Magistrate Sun was still hesitating. He said, what if I can't borrow so much food and the provincial government doesn't agree to reduce or exempt the food tax? Zhou Kewen said that everything is man-made, you can't just think about the disadvantages, that's a later story.You need to solve the urgent need first, the besiegers are all rough people who don't know the king's law, if they get impatient and rush into the city, the consequences will be disastrous.It is best to send them away first! County Magistrate Sun thinks about it too. These people are so hungry that they dare to do anything.Mobs have already robbed the county seat in Linyou in the north and Long County in the west. Who can guarantee that the hungry people in this county will not follow their example?What's more, they have already surrounded the county town! County Magistrate Sun and Zhou Kewen climbed onto the city wall, and the people below fell silent immediately after seeing the scene.County magistrate Sun took a tin microphone and shouted down, folks, hello everyone!After discussion between the county magistrate and the leader of the gentry, Mr. Zhou Kewen, it was decided to suspend the collection of summer grain taxes. Please return home immediately and farm with peace of mind! There was joy under the city wall.Zhou Kewen bid farewell to County Magistrate Sun and returned to the team. The excited villagers lifted him up in a sedan chair with their hands. Some people even shouted "Long live Zhou Xiucai!"There was a response.Zhou Kewen's face was ashen with fright, he stopped it hoarsely, stop shouting, this is killing me!The villagers are stupid, how can Long live accept it casually, that would be the crime of beheading. When it comes to decapitation, Zhou Kewen is really a little scared.It was very risky for him to do this today, and he didn't know what to do beforehand, after all, it was not up to him to decide on exempting food and taxes.The reason why there is a big deal in front is to stabilize those who riot and prevent them from messing around.Hu Lai is rebelling. Once he rebels, he will not be able to get rid of the crime if he gets involved.As for the subsequent results, we can only take one step at a time.I didn't expect him to be so capable. He just relied on his three-inch tongue to overthrow a majestic government county magistrate and let him fall into the trap obediently. Zhuge Liang's tongue-in-cheek battle with the Confucian scholars was nothing more than that.It was a trap because Zhou Kewen had no intention of letting the refugees rush into the city at all. If that was the case, it would be a real rebellion.He's just building momentum, and it's not like he's making a fuss, what he wants is to intimidate him.而且，他也不能确保孙县长借来的粮食一定够应付差事，呈送的报告上峰一定批准。他只要诱骗孙县长答应灾民的条件，让他从起事者那里解脱出来就行了。至于孙县长后面筹备不够粮食，会不会又转过来向百姓征粮，或者孙县长凭着那张字据以后怎样向灾民追讨欠账，那都不是他考虑的，他只顾眼下。 周克文实际上是两面行骗，不容有一丝差错。如果起事的人不听他的话，没有耐心，冲进县城造反，或者孙县长看透了他的心机，死硬到底不惜一战，他都无法脱身。那时不是起事人拿他问罪，就是政府拘捕他，后果不堪设想。好在他骗技高明，对手都被他蒙住了。他有一种死里逃生的庆幸感。 这真是不容易啊，不是非常之人，不能为非常之事！周克文禁不住陶醉起来。 可周克文刚刚高兴起来，却立马又想起了那五石麦子。那是多好的麦子呀，金豆一样值钱的麦子呀，说搭进去就搭进去了，庆幸个屁呀！ 周克文被大家抬着往回走。在高过人头的地方往下看，地是往下降的，人是往上飞的，有一种飘飘欲仙的感觉。周克文这一辈子从来没有坐过轿子，小时候看当官的坐轿子，很眼红，发誓自己一定要考一个功名，也当坐轿子的人，可袁世凯那狗日的生生把他这条路砍断了。没想到现在他终于坐上轿子了，而且还是人肉轿子。这样的轿子只有备受敬重的人才能享用，皇上也未必有这个福分！就为这，周克文想，那五石麦子也值了。 更何况，这次起事兵不血刃，既保护了他，也保护了四里八乡的老少爷们儿，更值！就这一点他把张化龙比得无地自容了，匹夫之勇，何足道哉！ 周克文把自己的心情调整过来了，这是个凯旋的时刻，咋能叫自己心里不痛快呢！ 几天后孙县长接到了省府的回信。信上省主席把他骂了一个狗血喷头，说粮赋一斤一两都不能减免，必须限期征齐，如有拖欠，严惩不贷！ 孙县长倒吸一口凉气。省主席是武夫出身，杀人不眨眼的，谁敢跟他讲道理？幸亏他早有预料，并没有把宝全押在这上面。 孙县长真的去借了，而且借来的粮食还不少，可即使这样也不够粮赋的总数。他这次没有把手伸向百姓，一次围城已经叫他领教了饥民的厉害，他有办法弥补这个缺口。 孙县长下令保安队出动，到全县十五个义仓去武装拉粮。义仓的保管员哪能挡住他们，眼睁睁看着救荒的粮食被运走了。义仓的粮食加上借来的粮食，孙县长完成赋税还有结余，他把余粮悄悄转卖了，落了一笔巨款装进自己腰包。 这办法孙县长在答应周克文要求时就想好了，他只是没说出来而已。他不傻，难道不知道那样承诺的风险？万一上峰不同意减免粮赋，借粮又凑不够总数咋办？他当时就打定了义仓的主意。 这叫羊毛出在羊身上！孙县长笑了。你们这些饥民自以为聪明，本县长比你们还聪明，你们不愿意缴家里的粮，那我就取你们义仓的粮，反正这粮食都是你们的。你们缴了粮赋我没有理由抄义仓，你们不缴我拿义仓的粮食顶账天经地义！ 义仓空了，这是不得了的事！